Cody Uhler - Gluggle Jug

 

Released: July 25

While being a little on the short side, Gluggle Jug is a genuine fun and fresh experience of an EP. It has a lot going on in it, particularly in the rhythmic department. Short and blippy little pieces of sound swirl around each other to create faintly house and techno inspired rhythms without all the heavy thudding kicks and boisterous basses. Instead, it all feels very light and playful all around, keeping the mood bouncy through all five tracks. The addition of the various synth and guitar parts play along well and add a neat little sauce to the bounciness. One of my favorite examples comes on “Bubblesaurus” with its clippy percussion elements carrying the track along as this guitar parts slowly slinks its way into the mix, giving this wonderful soaring feeling to the whole thing that takes it to level beyond just the fun and playful. 

Some of the tracks come across as wonderfully video game-y, like back to the era of the Super Nintendo. I think the last track on the EP, “Tiny Train,” is a great example. Along with its chirpy synth work, it just has that cheesy side scroller kind of vibe to it in its pacing and tone. I really enjoyed the integration of the more lo-fi type elements in this track and some of the others, particularly around the end of the track when the drums transform into something more muted, muddy, and downtuned lo-fi aesthetic. The track previous to it, “Gone Fishin,’” uses some similar elements but much more focused on the synths, especially with that slow fade in pad that has perfect bit of digitized fuzz to it. Overall the album is a nice and light experience that feels fun and uplifting to listen to, especially on a bright and sunny day.